Discharge mechanism for tablet machines



March 1-8, 1941. T. cooKsoN DISCHARGE MECHANISM FOR TABLET MACHINESFiled Sept. 9, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 500/70/0 f (0000/7 BYimlwQLpwlu ATTORNEYJ.

March 18, 1941. L -r CQOKSQN 2,235,286

DISCHARGE MECHANISM FOR TABLET MACHINES Filed Sept. 9, 1939 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Mona/'0 Z CookJo/z ATTORNEYS.

Patented 18, 1941 UNITED S'DIATES PATENT OFFICE Leonard '1. Cookson,Kalamazoo, Hi I. Q r to The Upj hn Company, meh.

Application September 9, 1939, Serial No. 294,220

IZCIaims.

This invention relates to tablet packing and counting machina andparticularly to such machines for attachment to Btandagd tablet formingmachines of the type having rotary heads on 6 the surface of theperipheries of which the tablets are formed and carried during operationof the machine.

It has for its objects:

First, to produce a new and improved machine of the type described.

Second, to produce such a machine which is positive in its operation andwhich may be easily adjusted to take tablets in diflerent numbers fromthe same machine without complicated ad- Justments.

Third, to provide such a machine in which there are two troughs withwings to scrape the tablets from the surface of the revolving head, oneof which wings is slidable across the head making the machine capable ofsatisfactory use on high speed tablet formihg machinery without crushingthe tablets during shifting of the wing.

Other objects and advantages pertaining to de- 9 tails and economies ofconstruction and opa'ation will appear from the description to follow.The invention is defined in the claims. A preferred embodiment of myinvention is illustrated in the accom nying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing my new and improved machine.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view through a portion of the operatingmechanism taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of my machine showing how thetablets are intercepted by the slidable wing of the advance trough.

Fig. 4 is a detail view taken from the right of the operating mechanismshown in Fig. 7 and from the bottom of the mechanism shown in Fig. 8.

Fig, 5 is a detail sectional view of the pawl release mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on line 8-6 of Fig. 8.

Fig. '7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.,

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the operating mech-- anism.

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view taken on the line !8 of Figs. 2 and 6.

My improved machine designated generally at I consists of a rotary head2 which moves in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3. Thetablets I are formed in the recesses 4 in a ll conventional manner andon completion are carried on the surface head. 0

A trough 5 is provided extending from the head to carry tabletstherefrom. A wing i on the far side of the trough with reference to themove- 5 ment of the head extends across the surface of the head toscrape the tablets therefrom and guide them to the trough 5. This wingextends obliquely across the path of movement of the tablets and in adirection generally opposed to the movement.

A second trough l is provided to receive tablets. This trough has a wingI which is slidably mounted at the far side of the trough with referenceto movement or the head. This slidable'wing 8 is mounted in a suitableslideway 9 and may be moved from a retracted position out of the line ofmovement of the tablets obliquely across the surface of the head asshown in Fig. 3 to intercept tablets and guide them to the trough 1, themovement being in a direction generally opposed to the line of movementof the tablets so that the tablets will be scraped from thehead and willbe guided to the trough when the wing is in the position shown in Fig.3. This movement permits the wing to knife its way into .position and tobe retracted from tablet intercepting position without crushing thetablets as might be the case ii the wing were a pivoted wing.

The wing is operatively connected by bell crank lever I I and pitman IIto the operating mechanism indicated generally at II, which is providedwith a suitable supporting frame l3 in which a rockshaft I4 is pivoted.The rockshaft is provided with a crank l5 and a cam follower Ii which isengaged and depressed by cam I! carried by the head 2 on each revolutionof the head.

A return spring it rocks the shaft back to place the cam follower inposition for further actuation by the cam after the cam has passed onthe revolution of the head.

0n the rockshaft I4 is a crank or lever I! to which is connected a lever2) which carries a pawl 2| which is reciprocated from the full lineposition shown in Fig. 2 to the dotted line position there shown onevery reciprocation of the rockshai't. A ratchet wheel 22 is disposedfor rotation about the axis of the rockshaft on a shaft 23 which extendscoaxially of the rockshaft. A cam wheel 24 having a plurality of lobes25 is con- 60 nected to said ratchet wheel to be rotated upon rotationof the ratchet wheel.

Reciprocation of the pitman II is ;brought about by means of a yoke 2which is voted at 21 to the pitman. A pair of levers or plates of theperiphery of the provided with notches 34 and 35 whichfare op- I posedto dhe another and are adapted to receive ,a pin 36 on a lever 31 whichis pivoted at 38 to a plunger '39 which is mounted for vertical slidingmovement. The plunger 33 is provided with a pin 40 which is engaged bythe cam lobes 25 on the cam wheel 24 on rotation thereof in acounterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2,

to provide for a downward movement of the plunger. I

The downward movement of the plunger shifts the pitman as follows: Atthe upptfi portion of the stroke, the pin 36 will be engaged in eithernotch 34 or 35. If it is engaged in notch 34, as shown in Fig. 4, thelever or plate 28 will be pivoted in a counterclockwise direction untilit assumes the dotted line position, thus shifting the pitman. Uponshifting of the pitman, the pin 4| to which the spring 42, which islikewise attached to pin 36, is fastened, shifts to the dotted lineposition shown in Fig. 4, causing the pin 35 by toggle action to snapover into the notch 35 so that upon the next reciprocation of theplunger 39 the pitman will be shifted back to the full line positionshown in Fig. 4.

The pawl 2! is held out of engagement with the ratchet 22 by means of aplunger 43 carrying a pin 44. The plunger 43 is spring pressed upwardlyby spring 45 and has at its end a cam follower portion 46.

' A ratchet wheel 41 is mounted on the frame i3 and is provided with anactuating pawl 48 which is operatively connected by a pitman 49 to thecrank IS on the rockshaft I4. This pawl is arranged to rotate theratchet wheel 4'! once for every revolution of the head. Attached to theratchet wheel 41 is a cam wheel 50 which has at its periphery aplurality of tapped holes 5| to removably receive the screw threaded cammembers 52 which may be inserted in the holes so that after a givennumber of rotations of the head the plunger 43 will be depressed topermit the pawl 2| to rotate ratchet 22 and cam wheel 25 to actuate theslidable wing.

It will be apparent that with the mechanism above described, theslidable wing 8 will be either retracted or advanced at the end of agiven number of revolutions of the head which always produces a constantnumber of tablets. Bythis means it is possible after a given number oftablets have been formed and passed through one trough to cause thetablets formed on the head to then go to the other trough so that as onebottle is filled and removed, another one can be receiving tablets fromthe machine.

The cam wheel 50 is so arranged that it is a simple matter to change thenumber of revolutionsnecessary to effect a shift in the position of thewing and it is not necessary to tear down the mechanism to make thischange since the spacing and number of cams 52 control the operation ofthe mechanism which shifts the wing 8. It will be apparent that themechanism for shifting the pitman is a highly satisfactory andpositively operating mechanism which permits the shifting of the pitmanback and forth by 9.

similar movement of the shifting mechanism and that the shiftingmechanism will operate speedily so that the shifting movement of thewing will be effected without delay.

The terms and expressions which have been a herein employed are used asterms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention,

in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalentsof the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but it isrecognized that various modifications are possible within, the scope ofthe invention claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by'Letters Patent is:

1. In a tablet making machine having a rotary head on the surface of theperiphery of which the finished tablets are carried, the combination ofa trough extending from the periphery of said head and having a wingextending across 20 the surface of said head and in the path of movementof tablets carried thereby and on the far side of the trough withreirence to the direction of movement of the tablets to intercepttablets and guide them to said trough, a second :3 trough in advance ofthe first trough with reference to the direction of movement of tabletshaving a slidable wing forming an extension of the far side of saidtrough with reference to the direction of movement of said tablets andslidable 30 across the surface of said head and the path of movement ofsaid tablets, and means for advancing said slidable wing across the pathof movement of said tablets and for retracting it comprising a camcarried by said head, a frame, 83 a rockshaft, a crank thereon having acam follower positioned to be engaged by said cam to rock said shaft oneach revolution of said head, an arm operatively connected to saidrockshaft for rotation on rocking thereof, a pawl on said 40 arm, aratchet wheel mounted for rotation about the axis of said rockshaft andengageable by said pawl, a cam wheel connected to said ratchet wheel forrotation thereby, a plunger having a cam follower engageable by saidcam; wheel for reciprocation of said plunger, a pitman operativelyconnected to said slidable wing, a yoke pivoted to said pitman, a pairof v levers each pivoted to said frame and pivoted to an arm of saidyoke whereby pivoting of either lever toward the other will bodily shiftthe yoke and the attached pitman, an arm pivoted on said plunger andhaving a pin at the free end thereof, a notch. in each lever adapted toengage said pin on downward movement of said plunger, said notches beingopposed, a spring pivoted to said yoke and to said arm in such relationto said arm that shifting of said yoke to one side or the other of saidplunger will cause said arm to swing to one side or the other of saidplunger by a toggle action to move said pin from one notch to the other,a spring pressed plunger holding said pawl out of engagement with itsratchet wheel, a second ratchet wheel, an operating pawl for said secondratchet wheel operatively connected to said rockshaft to rotate saidsecond ratchet wheel one tooth division for each reciprocation of saidrockshaft, a wheel operatively connected with said second ratchet wheeland having a plurality of peripheral openings, and removable cams fittedin said openings and positioned to engage said spring pressed plunger toforce it against the action of the spring to release said firstmentioned pawl to permit it to rotate its ratchet wheel and the camwheel.

. 2 In a tablet making machinehaving a rotary head onthe, surface of theperiphery of which the finished tablets are carried, the combination ofa trough extending from the periphery of said head and having a wingextending across the surface of said head and in the path of movement oftablets carried thereby and on the far side of the trough with referenceto the direction of movement of the tablets to intercept tablets andguide them to said trough, a second trough in advance of the firsttrough with reference to the direction of movement of tablets having amovable wing forming an extension of the far side of said trough withreference to the direction of movement of said tablets and movableacross the surface of said head and the path of movement of saidtablets, and means for moving said movable wing across the path ofmovement of said tablets and for retracting it comprising a cam carriedby said head, a frame, a rockshaft, a crank thereon having a camfollower positioned to be engaged by said cam to rock said shaft on eachrevolution of said head, an arm operatively connected to said rockshaftfor rotation on rocking thereof, a pawl on said am, a ratchet wheelmounted for rotation about the axis of said rockshaft and engageable bysaid pawl, a cam wheel connected to said ratchet wheel for rotationthereby, a plunger having a cam follower engageable by said cam wheelfor reciprocation of said plunger, a pitman operatively connected tosaid slidable wing, a yoke pivoted to said pitman, a pair of levers eachpivoted to said frame and pivotedto an arm of said yoke whereby pivotingof either lever toward the other will bodily shift the yoke and theattached pitman, an arm pivoted on said plunger and having a pin at thefree end thereof, a notch in each lever adapted to engage said pin ondownward movement of said plunger, said notches being opposed, a springpivoted to said yoke and to said arm in such relation to said arm thatshifting of said yoke to one side or the other of said plunger willcause said arm to swing to one side or the other of said plunger by atoggle action to move said pin from one notch to the other, a springpressed plunger holding said pawl out of engagement with its ratchetwheel, a second ratchet wheel, an operating pawl for said second ratchetwheel operatively connected to said rockshaft to rotate said secondratchet wheel one tooth division for each reciprocation of saidrockshaft, a wheel operatively connected with said second ratchet wheeland having a plurality of peripheral openings, and removable cams fittedin said openings and positioned to engage said spring pressed plunger toforce it against the action of the, spring to release said first men-'tioned pawl to permit it to rotate its ratchet wheel and the cam wheel.

3. In a tablet making machine having a rotary head on the surface of theperiphery of which the finished tablets are carried, the combination ofa trough extending from the periphery of said head and having a wingextending acres the surface of said head and in the path of movement oftablets carried thereby and on the far side of the trough with referenceto the direction of movement of the tablets to intercept tablets andguide them to said trough, a second trough in advance of the firsttrough with reference to the direction of movement of tablets having aslidable'wing forming an extension of the far side of said trough withreference to the direction of movement of said tablets and slidableacross the surface of said head and thepath of movement of said tablets,and means for advancing said slidable wing acres the path of movement ofsaid of said head and having a wing extending across the surface of saidhead and in the path of movement of tablets carried thereby and on thefar side of the trough with reference to the direction of movement ofthe tablets to intercept tablets and guide them to said trough, a secondtrough in advance of the first trough with reference to the direction ofmovement of tablets having a slidable wing forming an extension of thefar side of said trough with reference to the direction of movement ofsaid tablets and slidable across the surface of said head and the pathof movement of said tablets, and means for advancing said slidable wingacross the path of movement of said tablets and for retracting itincluding a-wheel having on the periphery thereof a plurality of holesto receive removable cams, and means to rotate said wheel a portion of arevolution for each revolution of said head.

5. In a tablet making machine having a rotary head on the surface of theperiphery of which the finished tablets are carried, the combination ofa trough extending from the periphery of said head and having a wingextending across the surface of said head and in the path of movement oftablets carried thereby and on the far side of the trough with referenceto the direction of movement of the tablets to intercept tablets andguide them to said trough, a second trough in advance of the firsttrough with reference to the direction of movement of tablets having amovable wing forming an extension of the far side of said trough withreference to the direction of movement of said tablets and movableacross the surface of said head and the path of movement of saidtablets, and means for moving said movable wing across the path ofmovement of said tablets and for retracting it including a ratchet wheelmeans operable in timed relation to the rotation of said head to advancesaid ratchet wheel'a portion of a revolution for each rotation of saidhead, a second wheel driven by said ratchet wheel and having on theperiphery thereof a plurality of holes to receive removable cams.

6. In a tablet making machine having a rotary head on the surface of theperiphery of which the finished tablets are carried, the combination ofa trough extending from the periphery of said head and having a wingextending across the surface of said head and in the path of movement oftablets carried thereby and on the far side-of the trou h with referenceto he direction of movement of the tablets to intercept tablets andguide them to said trough, a second trough in advance of the firsttrough with reference to side of the trough with reference to thedirection movement of said tabletaand means for moving said movable wingacross the path of movement I rality of holes to receive removable camsand means to rotate said wheel a portion of a revolution for eachrevolution of said head.

7. In a tablet making machine having a rotary head on the surface of theperiphery of which the finished tablets are carried, the combination ofa trough extending from the periphery of said head and having a wingextending across the surface of said head and in the path of movement oftablets carried thereby and on the far side of the trough with referenceto the direction of movement of the tablets to intercept tablets andguide them to said trough, a second trough in advance of the firsttrough with reference to the direction of movement of tablets having aslidable wing forming an extension of the far side of said trough withreference to the direction of movement of said tablets and slidableacross the surface of said head and the path of movement of saidtablets, and means for advancing said slidable wing across the path ofmovement of said tablets and for retracting it including a rotarymember, means for rotating said rotary member a partial revolution foreach revolution of said head, and cam means carried by said rotarymember and adjustable to difierent positions thereon to vary theoperation of said means for advancing said wing with reference to thenumber of revolutions of said head.

8. In a tablet making machine having a. rotary heaed on the surface ofthe periphery of which the finished tablets are carried, the combinationof a trough extending from the periphery of said head and having a wingextending across the surface of said head and in the path of movement oftablets carried thereby and on the far of movement of the tablets tointercept tablets and guide them to said trough, a second trough inadvance of the first trough with reference to the direction of movementof tablets having a movable wing forming an extension of the far side ofsaid trough with reference to the direction of movement of said tabletsand movable across the surface of said head and the path of movement ofsaid tablets, and means for moving said movable wing across the path ofmovement of said tablets and for retracting it including a rotarymember, means for rotating said rotary member a partial revolution foreach revolution of said head, and cam means carried by said rotarymember and adjustable to different positions thereon to vary theoperation of said means for moving said wing with reference to thenumber of revolutions of said head.

9. In a'tablet making machine having a rotary head on the surface of theperiphery of which the finished tablets are carried, the combination ofa trough extending from the periphery of said head and having a wingextending obliquely across the surface of said head and in the path ofand against the direction of movement of tablets carried thereby and onthe far side of the trough with reference to the direction of movementof the tablets to intercept tablets and guide them to said trough, asecond trough in advance of the first trough with reference to thedirection of movement of tablets having a slidable wing forming anextension of the far side of said trough with reference to the directionof movement of said tablets and slidable obliquely across the surface ofsaid head and the path of movement of said tablets and against thedirection of movement thereof, and means for advancing said slidablewing across the path of movement of said tablets and for retracting itfrom said path of movement operating in timed relation to the rotationof said head.

10. In a tablet making machine having movin means on the surface ofwhich the finished tab; lets are carried, the combination of a troughextending from the moving means and having a wing extending obliquelyacross the surface of said moving means and in the path of and againstthe direction of movement of tablets carried thereby and on the far sideof the trough with reference to the direction of movement of the tabletsto intercept tablets and guide them to said trough, a second trough inadvance of the first trough with reference to the direction of movementof tablets having a slidable wing forming an extension of the far sideof said trough with reference to the direction of movement of saidtablets and slidable obliquely across the surface of said moving meansand the path of movement of said tablets and against the direction ofmovement thereof, and means for advancing said slidable wing across thepath of movement of said tablets and for retracting it from said path ofmovement.

11. In a tablet making machine having a rotary head on the surface ofthe periphery of which the finished tablets are carried, the combinationof a trough extending from the periphery of said head and having a wingextending across the surface of said head and in the path of movement oftablets carried thereby and on the far side of the trough with referenceto the direction of movement of the tablets to intercept tablets andguide them to said trough, a second trough in advance of the firsttrough with reference to the direction of movement of tablets having aslidable wing forming an extension of the far side of said trough withreference to the direction of movement of said tablets and slidableacross the surface of said head and the path of movement of saidtablets, and means for advancing said slidable wing across the path ofmovement of said tablets and for retracting it from said path ofmovement operating in timed relation to the rotation of said head.

12. In a tablet making machine having moving means on the surface ofwhich the finished tablets are carried, the combination of a troughextending from the moving means and having a wing extending across thesurface of said moving means and in the path of movement of tabletscarried thereby and on the far side of the trough with reference to thedirection of movement of the tablets to intercept tablets and guide themto said trough, a second trough in advance of the first trough withreference to the direction of movement of tablets having'a slidable winforming an extension of the far side of said trough with reference tothe direction of movement of said tablets and slidable across thesurface of said moving means and the path of movement of said tablets,and means for advancing said slidable wing across the path of movementof said tablets and for retracting it from said path of movement.

LEONARD T. COOKSON.

